Starting a podcast, or any business for that matter can feel completely overwhelming. And if you’re lucky enough to have a successful podcast or business, those feelings of being overwhelmed just keep multiplying as the to-do lists get longer and longer. So how do you deal with that?
On a recent episode of Should I Start a Podcast, we got to hear Darren Rowse speak about how to transform your podcast process with a workflow, among a ton of other super useful information. But this particular point he made stuck with me because I know the power systems and framework have in my businesses and podcasts.
Systems and routines are monumentally crucial, not just as you’re starting your podcast, but every moment after. Lots of new podcasters put off creating a workflow system, or figure it will just form itself over time.
But as Darren’s mum told him “Your life will be better if you take action on the things you avoid”. Once you take action on implementing a system for your podcast, you’ll start seeing a plethora of benefits.
Kills Feelings of Being Overwhelmed
When we develop systems for the entire podcast process, it begins to become a well-oiled machine that almost runs itself. Knowing what you have to do to book guests, come up with questions, edit audio, do marketing and follow-ups with guests can feel like a never-ending list of work to be done.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re more likely to become burnt out and even quit, or never begin at all. Having a system in place; a workflow, an integrated method that you follow for every bit of your business or podcast, allows you to know the time and effort it takes to perform each task, so over time you can set realistic deadlines and stop the dread.
Master New Skills or Know When to Outsource
You’re not going to be great at every aspect of podcasting right away, no one is. But as you repeat those workflow systems over and over, you’ll begin to find your strengths and master them. Maybe you’re brand new to editing, or posting on social media, or email marketing.
The more you do those tasks over and over, the better you’ll become at them. It’s also a great way to discover your strengths and weaknesses.
Some skills just may not be for you, or you may not have time for them as your podcast or business progresses. That’s where your team, or outsourcing, come in. Why do something that takes away your precious time when it can easily be done by someone else?
By having a careful system in place, you’ll be able to weed out those tasks that are better being done by either your team or a freelancer or outsourcing company.
Helps Build Productive Habits
Building habits isn’t necessarily a good thing if they don’t keep you productive. By implementing a workflow system, as well as regular routines that you stick to religiously, you’re building habits that serve a purpose- building your podcast.
A system in place not only builds helpful habits for yourself but your entire team. When everyone is on the same page and knows what they’re supposed to do and when they’re supposed to do it, you’ll see a remarkable difference in everything you do- and everything you put out into the world.
Write Out Your System and Tweak When Necessary
A workflow system can’t work if it just stays an idea or a concept, you have to write it out step by step. When this happens, then this happens, and so on.
When everything is in black and white, it’s easier to see where things might be breaking down, so you can fix them quickly and get back to work. Don’t be afraid to change your system. As time goes on and your podcast grows and evolves, your system may have to also.
There’s really no downside to creating a workflow system for your podcast. Sure, it’ll take a little hard work and careful planning, but once it’s in place, you won’t know how you did anything without it. Take a little time now to get those systems in place, you’ll be glad you did.
To hear more from Darren, check out episode #182 of Should I Start a Podcast hosted by Ronsley Vaz.
Author: Ronsley Vaz
Ronsley is the founder & chief day dreamer at AMPLIFY. He is an author, speaker & serial entrepreneur.
He has a Masters’ degree in Software Engineering and an MBA in Psychology and Leadership. He is known as the creator of We Are Podcast – the first Podcasting Conference in the Southern Hemisphere, and the host of The Bond Appetit Podcast and Should I Start a Podcast. He has an audience of over 3 million in 133 countries.